Editor's note: This story was changed from the original post to correct Max Bloom's name. Our apologies for the error.
       | Franklin's Max Bloom stepped into the batter's box digging his feet into the sand in the top of the fifth inning. He looked out onto the field and saw three of his red shirt teammates at every base with only one out. They were down three nothing and this was the first time they had anyone in scoring position all game. Up to this point Franklin’s 11-12 year old Major League squad left three runners on base and plated none against the very good Butler team. Bloom stared at the ball leaving the Butler pitcher's hand and swung, perhaps a little late, but sent it in the air down the first base line. It dropped. Coaches shouted instructions sending runners and it looked like two runs were going to score. Both teams and their fans were chaotic, loud and the action was furious when all of a sudden the home plate umpire's voice broke through the noise as he started running toward the action with both arms up shouting “foul, foul, foul.” The excitement became silence. Everyone looked at each other wondering what just happened as the play was called dead. Everyone returned to their bases and Bloom to the batter's box. The change in tone was palpable. Excitement was replaced with let down. Mike Rodriguez, Franklin’s first base coach, held up his hand as he returned to the coaches box. His thumb and forefinger were about an inch apart. “It wasn’t even the width of a baseball foul,” he said, admitting that the ball was foul only by a couple centimeters. The wind in Franklin’s sails had been taken out and they just could not get any of the runners across the plate. An inch maybe two and it’s an all new ball game, a momentum shift. Instead they were still three down and shoulders were slumped. The tone was set early with Butler jumping out in the first inning as if they were going to have a huge inning. Franklin pitcher Gavin Matthews had gotten himself in some trouble with a couple runners in scoring position and no outs but buckled down and only let one cross home plate. Same in the second inning, but this time got out without allowing a run. In the third he gave up two runs but left the bases loaded keeping his team in the game. Despite struggling he pitched a gutsy game. His replacement, Torin Schmidt came in the fourth inning and threw only nine pitches for an immaculate inning striking out the side. This seemed to give Franklin the momentum for a fifth inning rally, but it wasn’t meant to be. Butler scored three more in the bottom of the fifth and ended up winning 6-0 to advance to the District 25 majors final. |
Franklin will play tonight in Clarion with the goal of getting another crack at Butler in the finals. They will need to win three games if they want to get another District 25 banner.
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